Two weeks from now I’ll be back with fellow Voice Talents, this time in Charlotte, NC.

loving faffy the mascot

My name is Randye and I am a frequent faffer. (everybody all together: “Hi, Randye!”)

Why? Why spend hard-earned voiceover income on plane fare, hotel lodging, and a registration fee? WIIFM? (“What’s in it for me….?”)

Oh, so much. That’s why I am doing it for the fifth time. Yes, I am not only a frequent faffer, I guess I’m kind of addicted.

If you are saying, “huh?”, allow me to explain.

This is from the official info department:Voice talent from around the world (Australia, Great Britain,

some founding faffers – we were in Portland OR in 2010!

Canada, United States) have come to FaffCon since it began in 2010. The objective for participants and guiding principle behind FaffCon is very simple- “Get What You Need, Share What You Can”. FaffCon continues to provide a very educational, interactive and fun environment that encourages peer-to-peer professional development for all unconference contributors (who are nicknamed “Faffers”).

So, it’s a gathering of Voiceover professionals, only about 100 of us (hence the waiting list every year, and many of us camping out by our computers until registration opens). We show up, don our nametags, and proceed to teach each other, and have a heck of a great time. I have never failed to get waaaaaay more than I have given – and I try to give a lot!

Voiceover is a business that’s constantly evolving, so the stuff we choose to share evolves as well. At faffcon 1, I learned about emerging trends in promo voices, and ways to get “realer” with reads. At faffcon 4, there was a session about recording with your iPad on the road. And so much in between.

last time we went whale watching (or whale waiting, as we called it)

Even more, I have met and become real friends with so many talents who, like me, are starting to spend too much time alone in the home studio for our social needs. Knowing that we are not alone, and that we can reach out to each other anytime, and/or join others at the “water cooler” that is at VO-BB, twitter, or facebook ?

Priceless.

Want more info about faffcon?

The FaffCon 5 schedule can be accessed here: http://faffcon.com/schedule/
• FaffCon 5 sold out in under 7 hours (a new FaffCon record)
• FaffCon 6 will be held in October 2013 marking a shift to an now annual event
• The location for FaffCon 6 will be announced to Faffers on Sunday, October 14th – we won’t know where until faffcon 5 is almost over.